George Leech (actor) explained

George Leech (6 December 1921 – 17 June 2012) was a British film actor and stunt performer who was notable for his work on eleven James Bond films.

Biography

Leech was born in London and left school at 14. He was a boxer who won the ABA National Championships when he was 15 as a welterweight and he joined the Royal Navy in 1943.

Film career

His first job in movies was performing a stunt involving falling down steps doubling for James Mason in Odd Man Out (1947).He was notable for his contributions to James Bond films from 1962 to 1985 as a stunt performer and in small acting roles (usually as a henchman) including: Dr. No (1962), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), where he was promoted to stunt arranger when Bob Simmons was working on another film, For Your Eyes Only (1981), and A View to a Kill (1985). He also worked on The Guns of Navarone, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Kelly's Heroes, The Eagle Has Landed and Revenge of the Pink Panther.

Personal life

Leech married in 1952. One of his two daughters Wendy Leech became one of the first female stunt performers and married the stuntman Vic Armstrong. Leech died in Cardiff in 2012 at the age of 90.[1] [2]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1956Port Afrique Second Arab
1959 The Treasure of San TeresaMan In Fight Uncredited
1960And the Same to You Jake
1962Billy Budd Marine Uncredited
1964Carry On Spying Waiter Uncredited
1964Goldfinger Man in Bulletproof Vest at Q Branch Uncredited
1964The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb Ship Attacker Uncredited
1964Mozambique Carl
1965Coast of Skeletons Carlo Seton
1965The Face of Fu Manchu Manchu Minion Uncredited
1965Thunderball Disco Volante Crewman Uncredited
1966Se tutte le donne del mondo...
1968Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty's original driver Uncredited
1969On Her Majesty's Secret Service Strangled SPECTRE Skier Uncredited
1971Diamonds Are Forever Mr. KiddUncredited
1971When Eight Bells Toll Thug Uncredited
1971Puppet on a Chain Thug Uncredited
1975Brannigan Man in Bar Uncredited
1976The Pink Panther Strikes Again Mr. Stutterstutt
1976The Eagle Has Landed Sturmbannführer Straub Uncredited
1977The Spy Who Loved Me Cortina Gunman #2 Uncredited
1978The Wild Geese Stone Uncredited
1978Revenge of the Pink Panther Asylum Policeman Uncredited
1978Superman Man in Office Uncredited
1979Moonraker Drax's henchman Uncredited
1980North Sea Hijack Magnussen
1981For Your Eyes Only Henchman Shark Victim Uncredited
1985A View to a Kill Miner Gunned Down by Zorin Uncredited, (final film role)

Notes and References

  1. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/george-leech-stuntman-and-actor-best-known-for-his-work-on-the-bond-films-franchise-8008516.html George Leech Stuntman and actor obituary in The Independent
  2. http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/george-leech.18167874 George Leech Obituary at Herald Scotland